Izuchukwu OkosiThe Super Falcons completely out-thought, outplayed and outmanoeuvred their counterparts from Cape Verde to hit five goals in the first leg of their 2024 Women Africa Cup of Nations final round qualifying fixture in Abuja on Thursday.
Uchenna Kanu, with a first-half brace, and substitute Esther Okoronkwo, with a second-half brace, swept the nine-time African champions into a comfortable lead in the fixture and all but earned a place in the finals slated for Morocco in the summer of next year.
Gift Monday rocked the bar from a 22-yard free-kick in the 4th minute before Kanu reaped from a goalmouth melee that followed a corner kick to slot past goalkeeper Jacinta Rodrigues. Rodrigues did better two minutes later when she palmed a left-footed angled drive from captain Rasheedat Ajibade.
In the 14th minute, Kleydiana Borges came close with a shot that was charged down by Oluwatosin Demehin, and five minutes later, Toni Payne missed from close range to let off the Cape Verdeans.
However, Gift Monday made good from another goalmouth melee in the 25th minute, to make it two for the hosts at the MKO Abiola National Stadium.
Petite midfielder Deborah Abiodun, whose turns, swerves and sweet touches were a delight all evening, came close with a 25-yard volley on the half-hour mark, but Kanu made good again just before the break, making no mistake from a pass from Toni Payne on a swift counter-attack launched by Ajibade.
In the second period, the Falcons again completely dominated, with Okoronkwo lifting the ball past Rodrigues in the 67th minute from a cross by Ajibade from the right, and then shot past the visiting goalkeeper from a Rofiat Imuran cross from the left with 13 minutes left.
Both teams will clash in the second leg in Praia, capital of Cape Verde on Tuesday, 5th December.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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